No Man's Sky 10th Anniversary: Sean Murray's Letter Reveals Cosmos Update, Less Than 1% Explored, and Light No Fire Status

On August 10, 2026, Hello Games founder Sean Murray published an emotional open letter to mark the 10th anniversary of No Man's Sky. The letter reflected on the game's rocky launch, its remarkable turnaround, and what lies ahead — including the next major free update and the status of the studio's long-awaited next project.

Players Have Explored Less Than 1% of the Galaxy

One of the most striking statistics from Murray's letter: after a decade and millions of players exploring the cosmos, the community has discovered less than one percent of the game's procedurally generated planets . It's a testament to the sheer scale of the universe Hello Games built — and how much remains for future travellers.

A Decade of Redemption: From Troubled Launch to Record Players

Murray acknowledged the game's famously troubled launch on August 9, 2016, and expressed pride in how the team turned things around. "For any game to reach its ten-year milestone is impressive," he wrote, "and I think that is especially true for No Man's Sky" . The game's survival and success are evident in the numbers: the studio has released 40 major free updates over the past ten years, and in its 10th year, No Man's Sky saw record player counts since launch . It also won The Game Awards and BAFTA honors for Best Evolving Game .

The game is now available on "almost every gaming platform," including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Mac .

Announcing the Cosmos Update

Murray used the anniversary to officially name the next major free update: Cosmos (styled as COSMOS). No release date or specific features have been announced yet, but Murray promised more details will follow .

Light No Fire: Still 'Cooking'

For fans eager for news on Hello Games' next project, the fantasy sandbox Light No Fire, Murray offered a brief but reassuring update: the game is still "cooking" and in active development . No release date has been set.

The Road Ahead

Murray's letter, published on Xbox Wire and shared across the game's official channels, was accompanied by a two-minute retrospective video . It closed with a simple message of gratitude to the community: "Thank you so much" .

As No Man's Sky enters its second decade with a thriving player base, the promise of more free updates and a new fantasy world from Hello Games on the horizon, the journey is far from over.